In
its letter of support to United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions, FLEOA
National President Nathan R. Catura noted that the rollback of civil asset
forfeiture by the Obama Administration has been a frequent source of
frustration for many FLEOA Members.
According
to Catura, "FLEOA believes that Civil Asset Forfeiture is a valuable law
enforcement tool in anti-drug, gang and fraud prevention. In an era when
illegal drug trafficking has dramatically increased, the forfeiture of illegal
assets serves as both a deterrent and source of revenue to assist in the
suppression of criminal enterprises. In addition, many federal agencies partner
with state, local and tribal law enforcement and often transfer these forfeited
assets to departments with limited resources.
Catura
added, "FLEOA is aware of past criticism of this program and applauds the
procedural refinements included in these updates. For example, the mandatory
DOJ training and accelerated reporting and swifter scheduling of hearings will
provide protections and alleviate negative public opinions.”
Read the full text of the letter sent by FLEOA to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.